Grille bar key



' March 16, 41943.

'w. c. DEl Roo 2,314,034

'GRILLE BAR KEY Filed March 3l., 1941 Patented Mar. 16, 1943 William C. De Roo, Holland, Mich., assigner to Hart & Cooley Manufacturing Company, Hoiland, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application March 31, 1941, Serial No. 3%,043

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a grille bar key which is a device for twisting the iiat grille bars in a frame of a register to the desired angle.

Registers used as air outlets are commonly provided with a frame in which is mounted a plurality of long flat relatively thin grille bars extending across the frame opening and these grille bars serve as air current defiectors. It is desirable to adjust the angularity of the grille bars inthe frame so that the air current emitted from the register will be directed where desired.

The grille bar key of the present invention is particularly intended to be used to twist grille bars which have their ends formed integrally with the frame therein and in adjusting the angle of the grille bar, it is necessary to twist the integral metal connection between the grille bar and the frame. However, the key may be advantageously used with that type of register in which the grille bars are pivotally mounted at their ends in the frame for angular adjustment. In both types of structure the grille bars are relatively thin and flexible and for proper1 adjustment it is desirable to grip them firmly at their respective ends close to their connections with the frame when twisting them for angular adjustment so that both ends of the grille bar may be adjusted simultaneously and the bar between its ends will not be flexed nor bent out of shape.

The invention provides various novel features of construction and arrangement as hereafter fully described in the claims, reference being had to the following description in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the register with parts broken away showing the grille bar key of this invention in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the register frame and grille bar showing the integral connection between them.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the grille bar key.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the jaw members of the grille bar.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the iigures.

The register structure illustrated comprises a rectangular frame I having grille bars 2 extending across the opening of the frame. The frame is preferably provided with a rectangular ornamental cover member 3. The grille bars 2 are formed of the same sheet metal as the frame I and they are integrally joined to the frame at their respective ends by the reduced connecting portions i. The grille bars may be turned to the desired angle in the frame by twisting the metal of the connecting portions 1I.

The grille bar key comprises an elongated back bar 5 with a jaw member f fixednear one of its ends and a jaw member l slidably mounted thereon. Each jaw member is preferably formed of two identical stampedl pieces which are associated with each other in reverse position and have their middle body portions 8 joined by rivets 9. One end oi' each jaw member, so formed by connecting the two reversed identical pieces, is formed into a socket I to receive the back bar 5 and at the other end of the jaw members the two parts thereof are spaced to provide the jaws il, the space between the jaws being of the proper dimension to snugly receive the flat grille bars 2. The jaw member E is preferably iiXed to the back bar 5 near one of its ends as by a rivet I2 passing through the members and the jaw member 'I is mounted for sliding movement on the back bar 5.

The back edge of the back bar 5 is provided with a plurality of notches I3 and a spring retaining clip I4 is attached to the body of the jaw member l preferably by the same rivets 9 which hold the two parts of the jaw together. The yieldable part of the spring retaining clip I4 is bent inwardly and extends into one of the notches I3 on the back bar and into the notch I5 at one end of the jaw member. An outwardly turned nger piece Ma on the spring clip l permits it to be yieldably moved out of the notches I3 of the back bar so that the adjustable jaw member 'l may be slid upon the back bar to the desired position in which the retaining clip I4 will enter one of the notches I3 to hold the jaw member in the desired position and at the proper distance from the xed jaw member 5.

In use the jaws II of the respective jaw members 6 and 'l are slipped over the flat sides of a grille bar and the jaw 'i is adjusted on the back bar 5 so that the jaws II are very close to the respective ends of the grille bar and the spring clip extends into one of the notches I3 and the notch I5. When thus positioned the grille bar is turned to the desired angle position by manipulating the key, preferably by grasping the back bar 5, which simultaneously exerts a turning effort at both ends of the grille bar and twists its connection with the frame at its respective ends Without exerting any tension or exing effort on the grille bar between its ends and results in a uniform angular adjustment of the grille bar throughout its entire length.

Although this device is particularly intended for use on grille bars of registers in which each grille bar is individually adjustable, it may also be used on that type of register in which the grille bars are mounted in groups which are all simultaneously adjusted by the adjustment of one of them.

The notches I3 which are entered by the spring detent I4 may be changed -to the shape of holes through the bar 5 or depressions may be substituted if desired.

Registers are of course made in various sizes having grille bars of different lengths and because it is necessary, for accurate adjustment of the grille bars, to have the jaws of the adjusting key grip the bars close to their respective ends the present invention provides a tool which may be used to adjust a Variety of sizes of registers and avoids the necessity of providing a separate adjusting tool for each size and a service man needs only to be provided with the one tool in order to adjust any of the registers he may work upon.

I claim:

1. A bending tool comprising, a back bar, two J'aw members thereon, one xed at one end of the back bar and the other slidably mounted thereon, said slidable jaw member including two identical members arranged in reverse position to each other and fastened together forming at one end an open jaw to engage the work to be bent and at the other end an opening to slidably receive said back bar, a notch in said other end of the slidable jaw member extending longitudinally thereof, a spring detent secured to a side of said slidable jaw member passing through said notch and terminating in an outwardly extending nger piece. and a plurality of spaced apart slots in said back bar, whereby said spring detent will pass through said slots to hold the slidable jaw member in any adjusted position, but may be released for sliding movement by manual pressure on the nger piece of said dein said other end of the slidable jaw member extending into said opening, and a spring detent secured to one side of said slidable jaw member and extending into said notch, said detent also extending into a slot in the back bar to thereby releasably hold the jaw member in any adjusted position, as specified.

WILLIAM C. DE ROO. 

